ES2973071T3 - Head for an oral care tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A head for an oral care instrument comprises a mounting surface and at least one tuft mounted on the mounting surface. The tuft has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The tuft comprises a plurality of substantially cylindrical filaments. Each filament has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The cross-sectional area of each filament has a substantially non-circular shape. The plurality of filaments are arranged so that the cross-sectional area of the tuft has an enlarged shape with respect to the shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Head for an oral care tool

field of invention

The present description relates to a head for an oral care implement and, in particular, to such a head comprising at least one tuft of filaments extending from a mounting surface of the head. Each filament of said tuft has a non-circular cross-sectional area that is perpendicular to a longitudinal extension of the filament.

Background of the invention

Tufts comprising a plurality of filaments for oral care implements, such as manual and electric toothbrushes, are well known in the state of the art. Generally, the tufts are attached to a mounting surface of a head intended for introduction into the oral cavity of a user. A grip handle is usually attached to the head, which handle is held by the user during brushing. The head is either permanently attached or can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the handle.

It is known that filaments frequently have an outer lateral surface with a substantially circular cylindrical shape. In general, the tips or free ends of the bristles are rounded at the end to avoid damaging the gums with sharp edges during brushing. Although the tips of the filaments are rounded at the end, one skilled in the art would still consider these types of filaments to be substantially cylindrical in shape. The filaments are typically arranged so that the tuft has an outer side surface with a substantially circular cylindrical shape or a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape.

Although toothbrushes comprising these types of tufts adequately clean the outer buccal aspect of the teeth, they are generally not very suitable for providing adequate removal of plaque and debris from the gingival margin, interproximal areas, lingual surfaces and other hard-to-reach areas in the mouth.

US Patent 6,086,373 describes a toothbrush having improved cleaning and abrasion efficiency, wherein the bristles comprise synthetic thermoplastic polymer compositions, and contain longitudinal channels extending along their length, which have a depth sufficient to trap an amount of abrasive particles so that, during brushing with a toothpaste, contact between the abrasive particles trapped in the canal and the surfaces of the teeth is improved.

US Patent 2,317,485 describes a brush having a tuft of synthetic bristles, each tuft consisting of no less than six individual loopless bristles, each of the bristles having at least three flat sides. Each two meeting sides are angularly arranged to form a plurality of longitudinally extending scraping edges. The flat sides are constructed and arranged so that the bristles are compacted to substantially eliminate interstitial spaces between the bristles and provide a greater number of bristles in a given tuft hole into which the tuft is inserted.

US Patent 2,876,477 describes a toothbrush having a tuft comprising a plurality of closely packed bristles, each of said bristles being formed of a synthetic monofilament. Each of said bristles has a cross section of a polygon, and all sides of each of said bristles with polygonal cross section have a concave contour.

The patent EP 0663 162 A1 relates to a toothbrush having a handle and a brush head wherein the brush head comprises filaments of non-circular cross section. The filaments have a trilocular, tetralocular, trilobular, rectangular or hexagonal cross section to offer better cleaning efficiency, e.g. e.g., better removal of plaque from the tooth surface.

EP 2663209 A1 describes an oral care tool comprising a head, a handle and a plurality of tapered bristles extending from one face of the head and arranged in a tuft of bristles. The cross sectional profile of the narrowed bristles as well as the bristle tuft is a diamond.

Tufts composed of two different types of filaments, called tufted tufts, are also known in the art. Generally, each type of filament is arranged in a group, where an inner group is substantially coaxially surrounded by an outer group to form the tuft. For example, a toothbrush head is known having a bristle surface from which tufts comprising a plurality of filaments extend in a filament direction. Each strand comprises shorter filaments having a cross section that does not taper from its lower end to its upper end and larger/longer filaments that taper from its lower end to its upper end. The longer filaments are surrounded by the shorter filaments.

However, it is known in the art that tapered filaments tend to flex easily, that is, tapered filaments typically exhibit relatively low bending stiffness which may result in a reduced ability to penetrate interdental spaces. Additionally, tapered filaments can have a relatively short lifespan as they wear out quickly.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a head for an oral care tool that overcomes these drawbacks. It is also an object of the present disclosure to provide an oral care utensil comprising such a head.

Summary of the invention

According to one aspect, a head for an oral care implement is provided comprising a mounting surface and at least one tuft mounted on the mounting surface. The tuft has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The tuft comprises a plurality of substantially cylindrical filaments. Each filament has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The cross-sectional area of each filament has a substantially non-circular shape. The plurality of filaments are arranged so that the cross-sectional area of the tuft has an enlarged shape with respect to the shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament. The shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament comprises at least one groove.

According to one aspect, an oral care utensil is provided comprising said head. The scope of the invention is defined by the attached claims.

Brief description of the figures

Next, the invention is described in more detail with reference to various embodiments and figures, where:

Figure 1 shows a top-down schematic view of a first illustrative embodiment of an oral care utensil comprising a first illustrative embodiment of a head;

Figure 2 shows a top-down schematic view of a second illustrative embodiment of a tuft shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a top-down schematic view of a first illustrative embodiment of a filament shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of the head of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a top-down schematic view of a second illustrative embodiment of an oral care tool comprising a second illustrative embodiment of a head not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a top-down schematic view of a second illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a top-down schematic view of a second illustrative embodiment of a filament shown in Figure 6 not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 8 shows a top-down schematic view of a third illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 9 shows a top-down schematic view of a fourth illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 10 shows a top-down schematic view of a fifth illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 11 shows a top-down schematic view of a sixth illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 12 shows a top-down schematic view of a seventh illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 13 shows a top-down schematic view of an eighth illustrative embodiment of a tuft;

Figure 14 shows a top-down schematic view of a ninth illustrative embodiment of a tuft;

Figure 15 shows a top-down schematic view of a tenth illustrative embodiment of a tuft not in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 16 shows a top-down schematic view of an eleventh illustrative embodiment of a tuft; and

Figure 17 shows a top-down schematic view of a filament shown in Figure 10 not in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

A head for an oral care tool according to the present description comprises at least one tuft comprising a plurality of filaments. The tuft is mounted on a mounting surface of the head.

Each filament of the tuft has a longitudinal axis that may be defined by the main extension of the filament. Next, the extension of the filament along its longitudinal axis can be called "longitudinal extension of the filament". Each filament has a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The shape of said area in cross section has a substantially non-circular shape. In the context of this description, the term “substantially non-circular shape of a cross-sectional area” may be defined by the following: the cross-sectional area has a centroid from which straight lines extend to any point on the outer circumference of the area in cross section. At least two of said straight lines have substantially different lengths. In other words, the radius measured from the centroid to any point on the circumference of the cross-sectional area is substantially non-constant.

The filaments are substantially cylindrical filaments, that is, each filament has a substantially cylindrical outer side surface. In other words, the shape and size of the cross-sectional area of each filament along its longitudinal axis may not vary substantially, that is, the shape and size of the cross-sectional area may be substantially constant along the entire longitudinal extension of the filament. In the context of this description, the term “outer lateral surface of a filament/tuft” means any outer face or surface of the filament/tuft on its sides. This type of filaments can provide greater bending stiffness compared to tapered filaments. Higher bending stiffness can make it easier for the filaments to penetrate the interdental gaps/spaces. Additionally, cylindrical filaments generally wear slowly, which can provide longer filament life.

At least some or all of the cylindrical filaments may have tips/free ends substantially rounded at the end to provide gentle cleaning properties. The rounded tips at the end can prevent gums from being injured during brushing. Within the context of this disclosure, end-rounded filaments will still fall within the definition of a substantially cylindrical filament.

The at least one tuft comprising a plurality of said filaments has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area extending in a plane that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. The plurality of filaments are arranged so that the cross-sectional area of the tuft has an enlarged shape of the respective shape of each individual filament constituting the tuft. In other words, the tuft is an enlarged version of its filaments, that is, the shape of the cross-sectional area of the tuft has substantially the same non-circular area as each individual filament, but with a larger size. The shape of the cross-sectional area of the strand corresponds to the shape of the cross-sectional area of its filaments. In the context of this description, the term “cross-sectional area having an enlarged shape” means a cross-sectional area comprising the same shape, but with a larger size. And vice versa, the term “cross-sectional area having a reduced shape” means a cross-sectional area comprising the same shape, but with a smaller size. In other words, the type of shape is the same but the size of the cross-sectional area is different, i.e. larger or smaller.

Any gap, irregularity, relief or groove that may be present between two adjacent individual filaments on the outer circumference of the cross-sectional area of the tuft do not contribute to the substantial shape of said cross-sectional area and therefore should not be taken into account. account.

A head for an oral care tool comprising at least one of the tufts according to the present disclosure may provide enhanced cleaning properties. The specific shape/geometry of the individual filaments has specific cleaning properties that may differ from the properties of regular filaments with a circular cross-sectional area. These specific cleaning properties can be enhanced by arranging the filaments so that they form a cross-sectional shape of the overall tuft that is an enlarged version of the cross-sectional shape of each individual filament. Furthermore, since the specific geometry of each single filament may generally not be visible to the user, the tuft according to the present disclosure may communicate the respective geometry to the user and, therefore, the corresponding cleaning properties of the filaments that constitute said lock.

As the filaments and tuft, respectively, each have a cross-sectional area with a non-circular shape, the filaments, as well as the entire tuft, can provide anisotropic bending stiffness properties during a brushing process. In case of applying a given contact pressure to the free end of the filaments/tuft, the amount of deflection/displacement of the filaments/tuft depends on the diameter/radius of the filaments/tuft. The smaller the diameter/radius, the greater the deviation/displacement of the free end of the filaments/tuft, and vice versa, the larger the diameter/radius, the smaller the deviation/displacement of the free end of the filaments/tuft. of the lock. The tuft may be disposed on the mounting surface of the head so as to provide higher bending rigidity in a direction in which higher cleaning forces may be required. Lower flexural stiffness may be provided in a direction where gentler wiping forces or a massaging effect may be required.

In some embodiments, the shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament may comprise at least one edge that may be disposed on the outer circumference of the cross-sectional area.

The shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament comprises at least one slot that may be arranged on the outer circumference of the cross-sectional area.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of each filament may be in the shape of substantially a square, rectangle, triangle, oval, cross, hexagon, rhomboid, cloverleaf, or semicircle. Alternatively, the shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament may have substantially three lobes. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of both the tuft and its filaments may have this type of non-circular shape.

For example, filaments having a cross-sectional area substantially in the shape of a square, rectangle, triangle, cross, hexagon, rhomboid, cloverleaf or semicircle, or filaments having a cross-sectional area substantially having three lobes may comprise least two side edges on the outer side surface extending along the longitudinal extent of the filament. These lateral edges may be rounded or may be relatively sharp to facilitate the removal of plaque and debris on the tooth surface more efficiently. Additionally, these side edges can sweep away plaque and debris during a brushing process. These improved cleaning properties of such filaments can be further enhanced by a tuft having the respective enlarged shape. The at least two lateral edges extending along the longitudinal extent of the tuft may further facilitate the removal of plaque and debris on the tooth surface and may sweep away plaque and debris.

Filaments having a substantially cross- or clover-shaped cross-sectional area, or filaments having a substantially three-lobed cross-sectional area comprise open slots/areas on their outer lateral surface along the extension of the filaments. These grooves or open areas can make it easier for the toothpaste to retain/adhere to the filaments for a longer period of time during a tooth brushing process and can prevent the toothpaste from spreading, which can result in a tooth brushing process. improved overall. Additionally, the grooves can provide capillary action that can allow toothpaste to flow to the tip/free end of the filaments and can therefore make the toothpaste available to the teeth and gums during brushing. The tuft having a corresponding cross-sectional shape can further facilitate these effects since the dentifrice can be retained/adhered in the respective grooves/open areas on the outer lateral surface of the tuft.

Filaments having a substantially square, rectangle or rhomboid-shaped cross-sectional area may allow a relatively high compaction factor of the filaments in the tuft since gaps between two adjacent filaments can be minimized. In the context of this description, the term "compaction factor" means the sum of all cross-sectional areas of the filaments divided by the cross-sectional area of the total strand. Each of the above-mentioned filament types comprises four straight sides/edges. Accordingly, two adjacent filaments may be oriented facing each other along their straight sides, which may allow the filaments to be arranged in close proximity. A high compaction factor can provide improved brushing efficiency, i.e. better removal of plaque and debris from the tooth surface and gums. Furthermore, tufts having a corresponding cross-sectional area in an enlarged form may allow a relatively high compaction factor of these tufts in a group of tufts. Therefore, a relatively dense field of filaments/bristles can be provided on the mounting surface of the head. The number of filaments and the number of tufts within a given area can be maximized to improve cleaning properties. Additionally, a relatively dense filament design, that is, filaments that are arranged closely together, can provide capillary action that can allow the toothpaste to flow toward the tip/free end of the filaments and thus can cause the toothpaste to flow. toothpaste reaches the teeth and gums better during brushing.

Filaments having a substantially rectangle- or oval-shaped cross-sectional area can provide different flexural stiffness properties in different directions. A tuft comprising a correspondingly shaped cross-sectional area can further enhance these different flexural rigidity properties.

In some embodiments, the at least one tuft may be arranged on the mounting surface so as to provide upper bending stiffness in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the oral care implement and lower bending stiffness orthogonally. to the same. This can provide gentle cleaning properties and a massaging effect when the head moves from teeth to gums and back, while superior bending rigidity can provide greater forces for cleaning along the occlusal, buccal and lingual surfaces. of the teeth.

In some embodiments, the filaments may be made of thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE), with or without an abrasive such as kaolin clay, polyamide, e.g. e.g., nylon, with or without an abrasive such as kaolin clay, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), with or without an abrasive such as kaolin clay and/or a polyamide indicator material, e.g. e.g., nylon indicator material, colored on the outer surface. The coloration on the polyamide indicator material may slowly fade as the filament is used over time to indicate the degree of filament wear.

In some embodiments, at least some of the filaments may comprise at least two segments of different materials. In some embodiments, at least one segment may comprise a thermoplastic elastomer material (TPE) and at least one segment may comprise polyamide, e.g. e.g., nylon, with or without an abrasive such as kaolin clay, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) with or without an abrasive such as kaolin clay, or a polyamide indicator material, e.g. e.g., a nylon indicator material, colored on the outer surface. These at least two segments may be arranged in a side-by-side structure or in a core and shell structure which may result in reduced stiffness of the overall filament. A core and shell structure with an inner/core segment comprising a harder material, e.g. e.g., polyamide or PBT, and with an outer/shell segment surrounding the core segment and comprising a softer material, e.g. For example, TPE, can provide the filament with a relatively soft outer side surface that can result in mild cleaning properties.

In some embodiments, at least some of the filaments may comprise a component selected from fluoride, zinc, strontium salts, aroma, silica, pyrophosphate, hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate, or combinations thereof. For example, fluoride may provide a mineralizing effect and may therefore prevent tooth decay. Zinc can strengthen the user's immune system. Hydrogen peroxide can lighten/whiten teeth. Silica can have an abrasive effect to remove dental plaque and debris more effectively. Pyrophosphate can inhibit the formation of new plaque, tartar, and dental calculus along the gum line. Filaments comprising pyrophosphate can offer long-lasting protection against inflammation of the gums and the mucous membrane of the mouth.

In some embodiments, the tuft may comprise filaments arranged on the outer lateral surface of the tuft which may comprise pyrophosphate to inhibit the formation of plaque, tartar and dental calculus along the gum line while the filaments arranged in the center of the tuft tuft may comprise fluoride to mineralize teeth during a brushing procedure.

In some embodiments, at least one of the components noted above may be coated onto a core, i.e., onto an outer/core segment of a filament. In other words, at least some of the filaments of the tuft may comprise a core and shell structure wherein the inner/core segment may comprise TPE, polyamide or PBT, and the outer/sheath segment may comprise at least one of the components indicated above. Such a core and shell structure can make the component(s) directly available to the teeth in a relatively high concentration, that is, the component(s) can be in direct contact with teeth during brushing.

Alternatively, at least one of the components listed above can be co-extruded with TPE, polyamide, e.g. e.g., nylon, and/or PBT. Such embodiments may make the component(s) gradually available to the teeth as the filament material slowly wears away during use.

In some embodiments, the head may comprise a plurality of tufts forming a group of tufts. The group of tufts has a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional area that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The plurality of tufts may be arranged so that the cross-sectional area of the group of tufts has an enlarged shape with respect to the shape of the cross-sectional area of each tuft. This group of tufts can provide a head for an oral care tool with more enhanced specific cleaning properties of the individual tufts that form said group. Furthermore, this group of tufts can communicate the respective geometry and thus the corresponding cleaning properties of the filaments forming the individual tufts.

In some embodiments, the at least one tuft may be attached/fixed to the head by a hot tuft insertion process. A method of manufacturing the head of an oral care tool may comprise the following steps: First, the at least one tuft may be formed providing a desired number of filaments. Secondly, the tuft can be placed in a mold cavity, so that the ends of the filaments intended for attachment to the head extend within said cavity. Third, the head or an oral care utensil body comprising the head and the handle can be formed around the ends of the filaments extending into the mold cavity by an injection molding process, thereby anchoring the at least one strand on the head. Alternatively, the tuft can be anchored by forming a first part of the head (the so-called "sealing plate") around the ends of the filaments extending into the mold cavity by an injection molding process before it can be formed. the remaining part of the oral care utensil. Before initiating the injection molding process, the ends of the at least one tuft extending into the mold cavity may optionally be melted or fusion bonded to join the filaments together into a fused mass or ball, so that The fused masses or balls are located inside the cavity. The at least one tuft may be held disposed in the mold cavity by a mold bar having blind holes corresponding to the desired position of the tuft in the finished head of the oral care tool. In other words, the filaments of the at least one tuft attached to the head by a hot tufting process may not be bent at an intermediate portion along their length and may not be mounted on the head using an anchor/clip. The at least one tuft may be mounted on the head by an anchorless tuft insertion process.

The oral care utensil may be a toothbrush comprising a handle and a head according to any of the embodiments described above. The head extends from the handle and may be either repeatedly attachable to and detachable from the handle or the head may be non-releasably connected to the handle. The toothbrush can be an electric or manual toothbrush.

Below is a non-limiting discussion of illustrative embodiments of oral care utensils and parts thereof according to the present description, with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 shows a top-down perspective view of a first embodiment of an oral care utensil 10, which may be a manual or electric toothbrush 10, comprising a handle 12 and a head 14 extending from the handle 12 in a longitudinal direction. The head 14 has a proximal end 41 near the handle 12 and a distal end 40 further away from the handle 12, i.e. opposite the proximal end 41. The head 14 may be substantially in the shape of an oval with an extension 52 in length and a width extension 51 substantially perpendicular to the length extension 52. A plurality of tufts 16 according to the present disclosure may be attached to the head 14 by a hot tuft insertion process. The tufts 16 may extend from a mounting surface 18 of the head 14 in a substantially orthogonal manner.

The tuft 16, as illustrated in Figure 2, comprises a plurality of cylindrical filaments 22 rounded at the end, one of which is shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each filament 22 has a longitudinal axis 28 and an area 30 in cross section extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 28. The cross-sectional area 30 may have a substantially cross-shaped shape 32, that is, the shape 32 of said cross-sectional area 30 is not circular. The cross-shaped cross-sectional area 30 of the filament 22 has an outer circumference 19 comprising four edges 17 and four grooves 15 that are arranged alternately. In other words, each filament 22 of the tuft 16 has an outer side surface 24 with a non-circular cylindrical shape. The plurality of filaments 22 are arranged so that the tuft 16 has a cross-sectional area 26 extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 20 of the tuft having an enlarged shape of the shape of each individual filament 22. The shape of the cross-sectional area 26 of the tuft 16 corresponds to the shape of the cross-sectional area 30 of each individual filament 22. In other words, the tuft 16 has an outer side surface 34 in a shape that is substantially the shape of the outer side surface 24 of each individual filament 22. This tuft 16 may hereinafter be referred to as “cross-shaped tuft 16”.

The oral care utensil 10 shown in Figure 1 may comprise a row 38 of two cross-shaped tufts 16 that are arranged in the central portion of the mounting surface 18 along the length extension 52 of the head 14. However, the row 38 may also comprise more than two cross-shaped tufts 16 or the head 14 may even be provided with more than one row of cross-shaped tufts 16. Additional tufts 42 with a triangle-shaped cross-sectional area may be arranged in the open areas/slots 43 of the cross-shaped tufts 16. The filaments of the tufts 42 may have a circular or triangular cross-sectional area. Furthermore, an additional tuft 44 with a rhomboid cross-sectional area may be provided in the two opposite open areas/slots 43 of the two tufts 16. The filaments of the tuft 44 may have a circular or rhomboid-shaped cross-sectional area.

Figure 5 shows a top-down perspective view of a second embodiment of an oral care utensil 10 that is similar to that shown in Figure 1. However, the head 36 may comprise a plurality of tufts 45 where each tuft 45 has a cross-sectional area 53 with a substantially rhomboid shape. This tuft 45 may hereinafter be referred to as “rhomboid tuft 45”. The rhomboid tufts 45, one of which is illustrated in Figure 6, may be composed of filaments 46 each having a reduced rhomboid-shaped cross-sectional area 55 (see Figure 7). The plurality of rhomboid tufts 45 may form a group 56 of tufts 45. The group 56 may have a correspondingly shaped cross-sectional area 57 that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 13 of the group 56. In other words, The plurality of rhomboid tufts 45 are arranged so that the cross-sectional area 57 of the group 56 has an enlarged rhomboid shape. In the tip region, at the distal end 40 of the head 36, a tuft 58 in the shape of a semicircle can be attached to the head 36. On the opposite side, that is, at the proximal end 41 of the head 36, it can be attached a lock 59 in the shape of a half moon. Additionally, on each straight side of the rhomboid group 56 there may be a substantially circle-shaped tuft 60 attached to the head 36.

Figures 8 to 16 show other embodiments of tuft 71,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 having an area 80, 82, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96 in section non-circular transverse extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 20 of the respective tuft 71,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79.

The tuft 71, as shown in Figure 8, may have a substantially square-shaped cross-sectional area 80. This tuft 71 is composed of filaments 81 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 81 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 71.

The tuft 72, as shown in Figure 9, may have a substantially rectangle-shaped cross-sectional area 82. This tuft 72 is composed of filaments 83 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 83 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 72.

The tuft 73, as shown in Figure 10, may have a substantially triangle-shaped cross-sectional area 85. This tuft 73 is composed of filaments 84 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 84 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 73.

As shown in Figure 17, at least part of the triangle-shaped filament 84 may comprise at least two segments 68, 69 of different materials, for example a core and shell structure 70. The core or inner segment 68 may comprise polyamide or polybutylene terephthalate, while the shell or outer segment 69 may comprise a thermoplastic elastomer that may be co-extruded with a component selected from fluoride, zinc, strontium salts, flavor, silica, pyrophosphate. , hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate or combinations thereof. Although the core and shell structure 70 is illustrated by means of a triangle-shaped tuft, other non-circular filaments according to this description may also comprise at least two segments of different materials as indicated above.

Tuft 74, as shown in Figure 11, may have a substantially oval-shaped cross-sectional area 86. This tuft 74 is composed of filaments 87 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 87 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 74.

Tuft 75, as shown in Figure 12, may have a substantially hexagon-shaped cross-sectional area 88. This tuft 75 is composed of filaments 89 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 89 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 75.

The tuft 76, as shown in Figure 13, may have a substantially three-leaf clover-shaped cross-sectional area 90. This tuft 76 is composed of filaments 91 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 91 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 76.

The tuft 77, as shown in Figure 14, may have a substantially four-leaf clover-shaped cross-sectional area 92. This tuft 77 is composed of filaments 93 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 93 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 77.

The tuft 78, as shown in Figure 15, may have a cross-sectional area 94 in the shape of a substantially semicircle. This tuft 78 is composed of filaments 95 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 95 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 78.

Tuft 79, as shown in Figure 16, may have a cross-sectional area 96 having substantially three lobes. This tuft 79 is composed of filaments 97 having a cross-sectional area corresponding to a reduced shape, that is, the shape of each filament 97 corresponds to the shape of the tuft 79.

In the context of this description, the term "substantially" refers to an arrangement of elements or characteristics that, although in theory they would be expected to have an exact correspondence or behavior, in practice they appear to be slightly less exact. As such, the term denotes the degree to which a value, measurement, or other similar quantitative representation can vary from an indicated reference without producing a change in the basic function of the object in question.

It should not be understood that the dimensions and values described in the present description are strictly limited to the exact numerical values mentioned. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the named value and a functionally equivalent interval around that value. For example, a dimension described as "40 mm" is intended to mean "approximately 40 mm".

Claims (14)

Yo. A head (14, 36) for an oral care utensil (10) comprising: a mounting surface (18), and at least one tuft (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) mounted on the mounting surface (18), the tuft (16, 45, 71,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) having a longitudinal axis (20) and an area (26, 53, 80, 82, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96) in cross section extending in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (20), the tuft (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) comprising a plurality of filaments (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 87, 89, 91,93, 95 , 97) substantially cylindrical, each filament (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97) having a longitudinal axis (28) and an area (30, 55) in cross section that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (28), the cross-sectional area (30, 55) of each filament (22, 46, 81, 83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97) having a substantially non-circular shape, the plurality of filaments (22, 46, 81, 83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97) being arranged so that the area (26, 53, 80, 82, 85, 86, 88, 90 , 92, 94, 96) in cross section of the tuft (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) has an enlarged shape with respect to the shape of the area (30, 55 ) in cross section of each filament (22, 46, 81, 83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97), characterized in that the shape of the area (30) in cross section of each filament (22, 91 ,93, 97) comprises at least one slot (15). 2. A head (14, 36) according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the cross-sectional area (30, 55) of the filament (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 89, 91,93, 95, 97 ) comprises at least one edge (17). 3. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the area (30, 55) in cross section of each filament (22, 46, 81, 83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95) has the shape substantially of a square, rectangle, triangle, oval, cross, hexagon, rhomboid, cloverleaf or semicircle. 4. A head (14, 36) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape of the cross-sectional area of each filament (97) has substantially three lobes. 5. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the filaments (22, 46, 81, 83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97) comprise at least two segments (68, 69) of different materials. 6. A head (14, 36) according to claim 5, wherein at least one segment (68, 69) comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 7. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the filaments (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97) comprise a structure (70) core and shell. 8. A head (14, 36) according to claim 7, wherein the cover (69) comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 9. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of the filaments (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 87, 89, 91,93, 95, 97) comprise a component selected from fluoride, zinc, strontium salts, flavor, silica, pyrophosphate, hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate or combinations thereof. 10. A head (14, 36) according to claim 9, wherein the component is coated on a core (68) of the filament (22, 46, 81,83, 84, 87, 89, 91,93, 95, 97 ). 11. A head (14, 36) according to claim 9, wherein the component is coextruded with a thermoplastic elastomer, polyamide and/or polybutylene terephthalate material. 12. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the head (14, 36) comprises a plurality of tufts (16, 45, 71,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 , 79) that form a group (56) of tufts (16, 45, 71,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79), having the group (56) of tufts (16, 45, 71 ,72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) a longitudinal axis (13) and an area (57) in cross section that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (13), and being the plurality of tufts (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) arranged so that the area (57) in cross section of the group (56) of tufts (16, 45 , 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) has an enlarged shape with respect to the shape of the area (26, 53, 80, 82, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94 , 96) in cross section of each strand (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79). 13. A head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one tuft (16, 45, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79) is attached to the head (14, 36) using a hot tuft insertion process. 14. An oral care utensil (10) comprising a head (14, 36) according to any of the preceding claims.